Eagle Eye, Auburn University and the Auburn community's only local TV station, wants to make big changes with its budget this year.
"It's really the best way to get an organization's name out there," said Caroline Harrell, sophomore in radio, television and film and news director for Eagle Eye. "It's really the best way to get Auburn out on a bigger stage than just Alabama."
Eagle Eye has worked with big names in the production industry and hopes to work with more in the future.
"I know we've done packages for ESPN, ESPNU, and that really gets Auburn to a larger stage that is much bigger than just this small city or even just this small section of the Southeast," Harrell said.
Most of Eagle Eye's budget pays for equipment and promotions, Harrell said.
"There's a lot of maintaining things, along with promotions," Harrell said. "We give out T-shirts, sunglasses and koozie to really get Eagle Eye's name out there."
Eagle Eye members are hoping to upgrade their technology to what the professional stations use in their studios.
"We're trying to transform a new studio with a certain software, which they use in real news studios," said Parker Willett, senior in radio, television and film and stage manager and technical director of Eagle Eye. "We have Macs, but that is not what the professionals use, so we are trying to purchase Avid, which is the editing software most professionals use, but it is really expensive."
Equipment replacement is a large part of Eagle Eye's budget, Harrell said.
"Something can pop up, like replacing equipment," Harrell said. "Our teleprompter broke, so we had to buy a new one ... so just because of wear and tear we have to replace things."
Some of the budget goes toward trips for Eagle Eye volunteers.
"We also sometimes take a trip to New York, like we did last year, which takes some money out of the budget," Harrell said.
Willett said this year Eagle Eye is expected to receive about $44,000, which is only half the cost of the Avid software.
"An equipment purchase like that would cost roughly $85,000 and would require special request paperwork to be done and going through different hearings to get signed off," Willett said.
Only two students are paid from the budget.
"The station manager ... and the news director are the only ones that get paid," Willett said. "The rest of the reporters are voluntary. I think most people work here for the experience."
Eagle Eye is helpful to students in a variety of ways, Harrell said.
"I think our contribution to this campus is to really help others get their name out there while giving the radio, television and film students more hands-on experience," She said.
Harrell said she thinks she has learned more at Eagle Eye than she would have learned in a classroom.
"This has prepared me for what I want to do more than anything else," Harrell said. "Because of Eagle Eye I'm probably going to get a better job because I have that experience."
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
